Mail-bag catching and delivery apparatus.



W. RASMUSSEN.

MAIL BAG CATOHING AND DELIVERY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1914.

1 1 23,005. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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var-21s PETiRs so" PHOTO-LITHQ, WA 9 W. RASMUSSEN.

MAIL BAG GATCHING AND DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1914. 1 ,1 23,005. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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W. RASMUSSEN.

MAIL BAG UAICHING AND DELIVERY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9,1914.

1 ,123,005. Patented Dec. 29, 1914 s SHEETS-SHEET a awe/MM Wj/lhmm fiasmu/ssen/ '11s NORRIS PETERS c0. FHOTO-LITHI'L, wAuu/w; w" Y UNITED STATE? PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Rasmussen, or rnU vswIcK, NEBRASKA.

MAILBAG,JCATQHIN G AND ,DELIYEBY APPARAIQIIS.

Sgecificaticn ofQI e tters ratent.

Patented Dec. 29,1914.

a c t o fi led. May 9, 1.9;4. s rial 110.837.5133.

To all whom it may concern Be known'that IJVI LIA Rasmussen, aciti'zenfof theUnitejdStates, residing at Brunswick, in the county "of "Antelope and transmittal thereoi to one terminal of the route.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an a aparatusof this character wherenr'the stat on devlce will del ver and receive mail to and heme movable carr age which s mounted upon a suspenslonrcable'and is electr cally 'drrvenso that the inait bags received thereby can be conveyed to'one terminalbf the route, while the mail bags delivered at the'reslpective staltions will "be held in "the station devices A where, the same can be milea e for the distribution of the inail' therein}: the-device be- 1ng especially useful for the collection and delivery of iiiailf in cities oriruraldistiflicts;

Ainotherobject of the invention isthe provision of "an apparatus ofthisfchar a-cter wlie'rein'the exchange of mail accomplished automatically; tliereby iobviating the necessity of an attendant or operator eiiecting or accomplishing the "exchange off'mail bags during the working of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention i'sfthe provisionotan app'aratusfof this character wherein the mail ba can bepl'aced' therein in a manner so that they will be delivered atthe' desired stations alongthe route, thereby obviating the possibility of the delivery of the mail bags at the'fwrong station, the bags being fed'in a novel manner in a position in the carriage to 'beicaught by the station'device forum delivery of the same thereto, it being understood of course that the carriage in lieu of being driven from an electric 'motor -receiving"its power from an overhead current wire, "can" be otherwise driven. i

A still further object of the invention is the provision of anapparatus of this character wherein mail bags when positioned and held in'the station device will be automatically collected and conveyed to a common :pointfo'r the assortment and distribution of the mall'matter held therein and sininlta- 'n'eously with'the collection of thebags from the station devices the latter willautoinati- Cally receive a mail bag to bedelivered thereto.

" 'A'further object of the invention is the provisionof an apparatus of this character which is snn'pleln constructlon, reliable and e'fhc ent 1n operation and inexpensive in installatimi.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, 1 coinloination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the clanns hereuntoappended.

" ln'the drawlngs :'F1gure 1' is an end elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance withthe invention. Fig. 2 is'a side view of the" carriageyshowing the station device in position relative thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view ftlirough the carriage showing ini'ragmen- "taryelevation the station device in position- "relativethereto. Fig. l'is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the carriage, showing portions thereof broken away. .Fig: 5 is a fragmentary horijzontal sectional view on theline of FigfiA; Fig; 6 isa view similar to .Fig. 4, taken through the rear portion of the carriage. Fig-. 7 is a sectional view on the line I7-+7 of Fig. 6. Fig; 8 isan enlarged frag inentary vertical sectional view through the hangeradapted for each mail bag. Fig. 9 is :1: detailsectional view through one of the shoes. Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the "'li1ie'10+10 of Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 1111 of Fig. 1. Fig. 12 1s a vertical sectlonal v1ew through the base for the station device, showing in side elevation the eye bearing therein. Fig. 13 is a t'r aginentary front view of the carriage.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus comprises a plurality of station mail bag catching and delivery devices, only one of which is illustrated, and is designated generally at A, and in spaced parallel relation thereto is a pole B, it being understood of course that a plurality of similar poles are employed for supportlng a suspension wire or cable C, the latter being mounted on a hanger or bracket D fixed to and insulated from each pole B, and upon this wire C is adapted to travel a movable mail bag receiving and delivery carriage E, the details of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The station device A comprises a staff or upright 10, the lower end of which is permanently fixed in a triangular shaped frame 11, both being made. preferably from piping, and the latter has its lower horizontal bar swingingly engaged in eye bolts 12 which are permanently anchored in a base block 13 partially embedded in the ground or foundation so that the staff or upright is supported thereby for swinging movement to permit the raising or lowering thereof.

Carried at the upper end of the staff or upright 10 is a fork 14, the ends of which are formed with out-turned slotted ears 15 through the slots of which project outwardly bowed or curved swinging arms 16 supported upon pivots l7 connecting the same to the fork 14 at opposite sides thereof, the throw of the arms 16 being limited by the extent of the slots in the cars 15 and are formed at their free ends with opposed slotted catching and delivery jaws 18 which deliver and receive the mail bags in a manner hereinafter fully described.

The movable mail bag receiving and delivery carriage E comprises spaced parallel side cheeks 19 in the form of an inverted U-shaped plate having the portion 20 to which are secured the castings 21, the same being arranged at opposite ends of the carriage and support a platform or shelf 22 on which is mounted an electric motor 23, one

current wire 24 of which is connected to a bracket 25 secured to and insulated from the platform or shelf 22, while the other wire 26 from the motor 23 is connected to and grounded through the platform or shelf 22. This bracket 25 supports a trolley wheel 27 engaging an overhead current wire 28 supported on an arm 29 fixed to and insulated from the pole B above the bracket D supporting the suspension wire C, the electric current being conveyed from the wire 28, wheel 27, wire 24, to the motor 23, which has its driving shaft 30 provided with a sprocket wheel 31 over which is trained a sprocket chain 32, the same being also trained over a sprocket wheel 33 fixed to one of a pair of stud axles 34 journaled in bearings 35 depending from the platform or shelf 22 and formed on the casting 21, and these axles 34 carry traction pulleys or wheels 36 adapted to travel upon the suspension cable C. Also fixed to the stud axle 34 are sprocket wheels 37 over which is trained a sprocket chain 38 so that the motor 23 through its connections with one of the axles 34 will impart rotation thereto, and the connections between the pair of axles cause the same to simultaneously drive'both pulleys or wheels 36, thereby moving the carriage over the suspension wire C throughout the length thereof. The

carriage moves through the fork 14 of the 1 station device for the exchange of mail bags in a manner presently described.

Secured to the inner faces of the cheeks 19 are opposed guideways 39, each being formed with spaced upper and lower guide flanges 40 and 41, the flanges 41 being designed to form tracks, the guideways 39 being extended longitudinally of the carriage for a greater portion of its length, the flanges 40 at the rearmost ends of the guideways 39 being cut away so as to terminate short of the rearmost ends of the tracks 41, while formed in the cheeks 19 slightly above the extended portions of the tracks 41 are delivery slots 42 whichopen through the rear end edges of the said cheeks, while the opposite or forward ends of the guideways 39 are outwardly flared to form entrances 43 thereto for a purpose presently described.

The hanger for each mail bagcomprises a bar 44 which is made from sheet metal and has fitted therein sleeves 45 which project beyond opposite ends of the bar 44 to form journals for friction rollers 46 carried thereby, which engage the tracks 41 in the guideways 39 of the carriage, and working in the sleeves 45 are sliding pins 47, the bar 44 being designed to support a mail bag 48 which at its mouth end is normally closed by means of a closing flap 49, the pins 47 being projected under the action of coiled retractile springs connected thereto and to the bar 44 for automatic engagement in the slots'lS and 42 in the swinging arm 16 and cheek plates 19, respectively, of the station device and carriage. The pins 47 in the "bar 44 of the hanger, when projected in the slots 42, will extend beyond the outer faces of the cheek plates 19 of the carriage in the path of the slotted jaws 18 on the fork 14 of the station device which engage and receive the pins which jaws, during the forward travel of the carriage remove the mail bags therefrom. These jaws 18 receive the pins 47 and hold the hanger which supports the bags 48 stationary while the carriage is moved, thereby shifting the said pins 47 rearwardly through the slots 42 from the rear end of the carriage, and thus the mail bag will be delivered from the latter during the travel of the same.

Connected to the forks 14 of the station device and to the swinging arms 16 are coiled retractile springs 51, which normally hold the said arms 16 in abutment with the inner ends of slots in the out-turned cars 15 on the fork 14 so that the projected pin 47 in the hanger of a mail bag can be engaged in the jaws-18 of the station device for the delivery of the mail bags therefrom to the carrier when passing through the forks, the delivery thereof being accomplished in a manner presently described.

Rotatably supported on the arm 16 immediately above the jaws 18 are rollers 52 which are adapted to engage cams 53 formed on and projecting forwardly and outwardly from opposite outer faces of the side cheeks 19 at the front end thereof so that when these rollers 52 ride on the cam edges of the cams 53 the arms 16 will be spread apart, thereby freeing the mail bag supported by the arms, and this bag when freed will be caught in the forward ends of the guideways 39, the entrances 43 acting upon the pins 47 to retract the same in the hangers for the bag so that the rollers 46 will engage the tracks 41 in the guideways 39 so that the mail bag 48 can travel rearwardly within the carriage. The rearward movement of each bag will be effected under the action of the forward travel of the carriage.

Arranged within the guideways 39 near the forward ends thereof above the flanges are trip catches 54, the beveled edges of the hook ends 56 of which will ride over the rollers 46 of the hanger for the bags 48 and by gravity will fall onto the track 41, thus locking each hanger against forward movement 'ithin the carriage, the hook ends 56 of the catch 54 being designed to work through a suitable slot 57 formed in each flange 40 in the guideway 39, and in this manner the hangers of the respective mail bags 48 will be locked in the guideway against accidental movement through the entrances 43 at the front end of the carriage after being delivered thereto.

Arranged within the guideways 39 be low the tracks 41 are feed devices, each comprising a stem 58 formed at its outer end with a hook 59, the latter being projected through a slot 60 formed in the extreme forward end of the track 41, while the stem 58 is projected into a barrel 61 mounted on a plunger bar 62 suitably supported within the guideway 39, the free end of the stem 58 being acted upon by a coiled compression spring 63 arranged within the barrel 61 so that the stem 58 can be extended from the barrel 61 under the tension of the spring 63 when the hook end 59 engages the roller 46 of the hanger bar 44 of the mail bag 48 so that the mailbag can be fed automatically toward the rear of the carriage in a manner presently described.

Connected to the plunger bars 62 and projecting through slots 64 in the cheek plates 19 of the carriage are depressible members 65 which are also swingingly connected to the cheek plates 19 at the forward ends of the slots 64 therein, and these members 65 are normally held projected through the slots 64 under the action of coiled retractile springs .66 which are connected to the plunger bars 62 and to the cheek plates 19 so that the members 65 will lie in the path of and be acted upon by stationary shoes 67 fixed to the limbs of the fork 14 of the station device, the ends of the shoes 67 being outwardly curved to assure the proper fric tional engagement thereof with the members when the carriage passes through the fork 14 of the station device. lVhen the members 65 are engaged by the shoes 67 they are depressed, causing the plunger bars 62 to move rearwardly in the guideways 39, which causes the feed members to simultaneously move therewith, thus shifting the bags 49 automatically toward the rear end of the carriage so that the mail bags will be singly shifted off of the tracks 41 for its delivery from the carriage in a manner presently described.

Arranged beyond the rear end of the tracks 41 are lifting sectors 68 which are slidable in guides 69 fixed to the inner faces of the cheek plates 19 of the carriage, and in the uppermost ends of each sector 68 are seats 70 for receiving the rollers 46 on the sleeve supporters 45 supported by the hangers 44 for the mail bag 48, the sector 68 being supported for swinging movement upon arms 7 2 which are engaged on pivots 73 mounted in the guides 39, and pivotally connected to one pair of arms '72 of the sector 68 are links 7 3 which are pivoted to plunger rods 74 arranged on the inner faces of the cheek plates 19, and to these plunger rods 74 are pivoted depressible members 75 which are similarly constructed to the members 65, the said members 75 being also pivotally connected to the cheek lates 19 and are adapted to protrude through slots 7 6 formed in the said cheek members 19 beyond the outer faces thereof in the path of shoes 67 to be engaged thereby for the depressing of the said members 75, whereby the lifting sector 68 will be automatically operated at the required intervals to lift the hanger bar 44 and the mail-bag 48 suspended therefrom into alinement with the slots 42 so that the pins 4? will engage therein, and thus the mail bag will be in position to be caught by the jaws 18 for the delivery of the mail bag from the carriage during the forward travel thereof from the rear end of the same, it being understood of course that the mail bags 48 are singly brought into position to be caught by the lifting sectors 68, which are normally lowered in the plane with the tracks 41 of the guideways 39 under the action of coiled retractile springs '1' 6' connected to the plunger bars 74 and the cheek plates 19 of the carriage.

The sleeves 45 at their outer ends have fixed thereto disks 7? which travel in the guidewavs 39 when the rollers 45 are traveling on the tracks 41 therein, and these disks 77 prevent any appreciable lateral displacement of the hangers 44 for the mail bags 48 when held within the carriage.

The shoes 67 have suitably mounted therein friction rollers 78 which minimize friction when the members and 75 are operated upon thereby during the passage of the carriage through the fork 1-1 of the station device.

In the operation of the apparatus, assuming that the carriage E is approaching the station device A, and that a mail bag is supported in the fork 1d of the station device, and also that a number of mail bags are held within the carriage E, the instant the latter reaches the station device A the cams 53 engage the rollers 52, thereby spreading the arms 16 and thus release the pins 47 of the hanger 44 carrying the mail bag 18 from the slots in the jaws 18, whereupon the hanger 44E enters the guideways 39 in the carriage E, the projected pins 47 being retracted in the entrances 4-3 to the guideways 39 so that the rollers 46 of the hanger 4% will contact with the tracks ll in said guideways, and thereafter the feed devices 59 will engage the rollers l6 of the said hanger 44L so that when the depressible members 65 contact with the shoes 67 the said feed devices, which include the stems 58 and the hook ends 59, will move the mail bag 48 caught in the carriage rearwardly thereof so that the rearmost mail bag therein will be shifted from the tracks ell onto the lifter sectors 68 by dropping into the seats 70 therein. During the continued movement of the carriage E the depressible members contact with the shoes 67 causin g the automatic raising of the lifter sectors 68 which raises the bag 48 seated therein into alinement with the slots 42 in the cheek plates 19 of the carriage, and the pins l7 in the hanger of the said bag will be projected through the slots to extend beyond the outer faces of the cheek plates 19 into the path of the jaws 18 on the arms 16 of the station device, which arms since the release of the mail bags l8 therein have been brought to normal position under the action of the springs 51 to bring the jaws into the path of the projected pins 47 resting in the slots l2 to engage the said pins i7 as the carriage E advances, and thereby extract the mail bags to be delivered to the station device A therefrom. This operation is repeated throughout the route for the exchange of mail bags between the station device and the carriage, and also for the transmittal of the bags collected in the carriage to one terminal of the route.

The pole B carries a brace arm 8i formed at its outer end with spring fingers between which engages the staff or upright 10 when in vertical position, while fixed to the said staff or upright 10 is a locking arm 86, the same being designed to pass through a suitable opening 87 in the pole B, and has pivoted thereto a hasp 88 to engage a keeper staple 89- on the said pole B. In this staple can be engaged the ordinary padlock 90 so that the staff or upright 10 can be locked in raised vertical position. When it is desired to remove the mail bag from the station device the stafi or upright 10 is unlocked and lowered the desired degree to enable the convenient removal of the mail bag therefrom. Likewise the staff or upright 10 is brought to lowered position when placing a mail bag therein to be transferred to the'movable carriage. To balance the staff or upright 10 during its swinging movement there is connected thereto a cable 91 which is trained over a pulley 92 supported by the pole B, andcarries at its lower end a weight 93 of any ordinary well-known construction.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood, and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is 1. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination of a movable carriage and a station device, a suspension cable supporting the carriage, a motor on the carriage, connections between the motor and the said carriage for driving the same, means on the station device and the carriage for exchanging mail bags therebetween, mechanism operated on the passing of the carriage through the station device for distributing the main bags received and to be delivered thereform, means on the carriage and operable upon the station device to free a mail bag when supported therein for its delivery to the carriage, and means for swingingly supporting the station device. 2. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination of a movable carriage and a station device, a suspension cable supporting the carriage, a motor on the carriage, connections between the motor and the said carriage for driving the same, means on the station device and the carriage for exchanging mail bags therebetween, mechanism operated on the passing of the carriage through the station device for distributing the mailbags received and to be delivered therefrom, means on the carriage and operable upon the station device to free a mail bag when supported therein for its delivery to the carriage, means for swingingly supporting the station device, and an electric current supply means having connection with the motor for driving the same.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a station device having a fork, means on the fork for receiving and delivering a mail bag, a suspended carriage movable through the fork, means for driving the carriage, mechanism for receiving and .delivering a bag within the carriage when movable through the fork, means on the car riage for operating the said means on the fork for freeing a bag therefrom on the entrance of the carriage in the fork, means on the carriage and actuated when traveling through the fork to feed the bag into delivering position in the said carriage, and means on the fork for holding a bag supported by the receiving and delivery means against swinging movement.

a. An apparatus of the class described comprising a station device having a fork, means on the fork for receiving and delivering a mail bag, a suspended carriage movable through the fork, means for driving the carriage, mechanism for receiving and delivering a bag within the carriage when movable through the fork, means on the carriage for operating the said means on the fork for freeing a bag therefrom on the entrance of the carriage in the fork, means on the carriage and actuated when traveling through the fork to feed the bag into de livering position in the said carriage, means on the fork for holding a bag supported by the receiving and delivery means against swinging movement, and means for movably supporting the carriage.

5. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination with a movable carriage, of a station device comprising a swinging upright, a fork on the said upright, spring held arms carried by the fork and having extensions forming mail bag receiving and delivery jaws, means on the carriage for operating the arms to free a mail bag from the delivery jaws, means for movably supporting the carriage, a motor for driving the said carriage, and mechanism for delivering mail bags successively from the carriage to the receiving jaws of the arms on the fork of the station device.

6. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination with a movable carriage, of a station device comprising a swinging upright, a fork on the said upright, spring held arms carried by the fork and having extensions forming mail bag receiving and delivery jaws, means on the carriage for operating the arms to free a mail bag from the delivery jaws, means for movably supporting the carriage, a motor for driving the said carriage, mechanism for delivering mail bags successively from the carriage to the receiving jaws of the arms on the fork of the station device, rails supported by the fork, and means frictionally engageable with the rails for actuating the delivery mechanism in a step by step manner within the carriage on the travel of the same through the fork.

7 In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination with a movable carriage, of a station device comprising a swinging upright, a fork on the said upright, spring held arms carried by the fork and having extensions forming mail bag re ceiving and delivery jaws, means on the carriage for operating the arms to free a'mail bag from the delivery aws, means for movably supporting the carriage, a motor for driving the said carriage, mechanism for delivering mail bags successively from the car riage to the receiving jaws of the arms of the fork on the station device, rails supported by the fork, means frictionally engageable with the rails for actuating the delivery mechanism in a step by step manner within the carriage on the travel of the same through the fork, and means for locking the station device in operative relation to the carriage.

8. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination with a movable carriage, of a station device comprising a swinging upright, a fork on the said upright, spring held arms carried by the fork and having extensions forming mail bag receiving and delivery jaws, means on the carriage for operating the arms to free a mail bag from the delivery jaws, means for movably supporting the carriage, a motor for driving the said carriage, mechanism for delivering mail bags successively from the carriage to the receiving jaws of the arms of the fork on the station device, rails supported by the fork, means frictionally engageable with the rails for actuating the delivery mechanism in a step by step manner within. the carriage on the travel of the same through the fork, means for locking the station device in operative relation to the carriage, and means for balancing the station device on the unlocking thereof and the swinging of the same from operative position.

9. In a mail bag catching and delivery apparatus, the combination with a movable carriage, of a station device comprising a swinging upright, a fork on the said upright, spring held arms carried by the fork and having extensions forming mail bag receiving and delivery jaws, means on the carriage for operating the arms to free a mail bag from the delivery jaws, means for movably supporting the carriage, a motor for driving the said carriage, mechanism for delivering mail bags successively from the carriage to the receiving jaws of the arms of the fork on the station device, rails supported by the fork, means frictionally engageable with the rails for actuating the delivery mechanism in a step by step manner within the carriage on the travel of the same through the fork, means for locking the station device in operative relation to the carriage, means for balancing the sta- In testimony whereof I affix my signature tion device on the unlocking thereof and the in presence of two Witnesses. swinging of the same from operative posi- WILLIAM RASMUSSEN tion, and latch means for preventing the accidental delivery of the mail bag from the Witnesses:

carriage and operative with the delivery SOLOMON GREENAMYRE, mechanism. WILLIAM W001) CALKINs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

